For many people, some of the most commonly performed actions can pose serious and dangerous problems. This is especially true when it comes to bathing. Older people and those with physical disabilities have a much more difficult time merely entering a bathing area, not to mention actually cleaning themselves. One of most dangerous actions is that of a person bending or stooping over, or raising his/her leg and foot in order to clean the feet. People who suffer from one or more of the many afflictions that affect older individuals, or those persons with physical disabilities, can suffer major injuries resulting from falling in a shower. People who are overweight also have tremendous difficulty, in that it is all but impossible for them to bend over. Due to the slippery surface of a wet shower floor, the danger of losing balance and falling is just as great for an overweight person as it is for an older person or a disabled person.
For as long as people have been bathing in a standing position there have been attempts to remedy the problem of safely cleansing the feet. Of course, one of the most effective means of guaranteeing a safe bathing experience is to have assistance from another person. Although the risk of injury with assistance is practically nil, the majority of people would rather risk the injury then suffer the humiliation of this type of help.
There have also been devices and methods that have attempted to solve this problem. One such device consists of soap that is attached to one end of a stick. The idea was that a person could apply the soap while holding the stick. This idea, although sounding good in theory, was actually more dangerous in that people were losing their balance trying to manipulate the stick. Other methods have suggested dropping a piece of soap on the floor of the shower and then rubbing the foot over soap. This method only made the already slippery floor even more slippery. Another method suggested that people grip the sides of the shower and slowly lower themselves to a sitting position. If the person did not fall trying to lower themselves, they found it almost impossible to reach both their feet and to get back up to a standing position. Obviously, their is a need for a device that will allow a person to easily and safely clean their feet while taking a shower. Safety should be the primary concern and therefore the device should not present any new, or increase already present dangers resulting from this type of cleaning movement.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,034 discloses a foot cleaning and massaging shower mat that is comprised of an upper planar surface and a parallel lower planar surface. The upper and lower surfaces are both formed in a rectangular configuration and are coupled around their periphery. An aperture is formed in the center of the mat and an upwardly extending recess is formed from the lower surface of the mat around the aperture. An insert is positioned within the recess which has a plurality of apertures in a symmetric configuration. A plurality of upstanding bristle-like members extend upwardly from the upper surface of the mat between the aperture and the periphery.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,660 discloses a foot scrub mat which includes a flexible base and a replaceable pad which are preferably made of an non-slip material. The base has an interior cut-out area of selected dimensions. The replaceable pad has a bristled area which has the general dimensions of the cut-out area and which is exposed when the pad is aligned beneath the cut-out area. The replaceable pad has an exterior rim which lies under the base when the pad is placed beneath and aligned with the cut-out area.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,348 discloses a foot pad structure on a rug in an automobile which includes a detachable pedal piece. The pedal piece has a front side that is to be pedaled by a driver, while the back side thereof is fixedly attached to a base plate. The pedal piece can directly be fastened together as one piece with the base plate of the foot pad in an automobile.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,668 discloses a foot scrubber comprising a housing, brushes attached to the inner surfaces of the housing and at least one suction cup for attaching the housing to a surface. The scrubber also includes a compressible dispenser for dispensing liquid soap when pressure is applied, an arm for applying pressure on the compressible means, and a handle rigidly connected to the arm by a substantially vertical shaft. The arm can be vertically displaced in a downward direction, thereby compressing the compressible dispenser.